


Seasonal Renaissance

by jaydenmaeda



Category: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, mao dao zu shi, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 魔道祖师 | Módào Zǔshī (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Gay Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, First Love, Fluff and Smut, Light Angst, M/M, Poetry, Romance, Sad with a Happy Ending, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:41:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28667142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaydenmaeda/pseuds/jaydenmaeda
Summary: Frustrated by the elusive nature of his peer Lan Wanji, Wei Wuxian pursues his desire to know more about him.
Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Kudos: 3





	Seasonal Renaissance

Spring had witnessed the annual metamorphosis of the Cloud Recesses, honouring Wei Wuxian in its wake. He had stirred at the onset of birdsong. Each forenoon began that way, his elbows propped on the windowsill of his room, eyes sweeping the expansive greenery of the Cloud Recesses.  
  
  
He was fond of the seasonal shift that took place. The viridescent explosion of impoverished botany was, in all its splendour, a flare of warmth amidst the ghostly haze of Winter. Wei Wuxian found himself mired by the alluring scenery, humming as little saplings peered through thin layers of snow-flesh. In cyclic oscillations, the earth bore flora and fauna to sustain the nourishment of its benevolent cultivators.   
  
  
Rabbits and pheasants were slain by the weathered hands of servants, leaving delicate foot-steps and crimson snow. Fruits, vegetables and grains were collected periodically from the city of Gusu. Each year, the teenage cultivator engorged himself on the plentiful harvests with unparalleled enthusiasm, desperate to fill the yawning void inside of himself.   
  
  
His lungs expanded feverishly with each inhalation of the crisp seasonal air, blossoming within the solitary confines of his ribcage- a tribute to tellurian rebirth; though masked by human flesh. It was unfortunate, truly, to know that the festivities within his body were to remain unseen. But beauty existed in the invisibility of the self. Throughout the gruelling facets of human history, beauty is encountered not by one's first glance, but after meticulous observation. To dissect is to understand.   
  
  
Of the biological processes that took place, none were obsolete or subservient- sodium channels held the same significance as whole organs, for they allowed those organs to function at a fundamental level. Each process encapsulated a sense of hidden beauty. The symptoms of this beauty were observable: in exhalations, in bodily fluids, in sensations, in pain, and in neurological activity.   
  
  
His musings had been interrupted by the exclamations of his peers. “Wei Wuxian! Are you prepared for tonight?” A voice jeered, its body seeping through his open window. “Always!”  
  
  
He had organised a gathering within his own social circle a few days prior, promising to smuggle wine into the Cloud Recesses. Although he reassured himself constantly that his plan was designed to benefit his friends, he couldn’t deny the wetness of his throat at the prospect of consuming wine. It was taboo for young cultivators to engage in such practices, after all.   
  
_____________________  
  
  
Wei Wuxian was confident in his footsteps as he returned from Gusu. Using the collective funds of his peers, he had purchased two jars of **Emperor’s Smile** , which he carried with the utmost care. The chimes of the nightfall bells had rung throughout the serene forest, signifying that he was, in fact, expected to be in his bedroom.   
  
  
He cared not for rules. Rather, his philosophy was to challenge any imposed restrictions. The world was abundant in those who merely remained subservient to authority without question. Thus, he prided himself on the rebellious nature of his spirit and sincerely believed that his presence in the universe was imperative to the development of epistemology. Cultivation depended on the birth of new ideas.  
  
  
Yawning, he trudged through dewey undergrowth, grimacing at the weight of the liquor in his arms. At times, it was rather difficult for him to find his way back. The paths’ elusive nature was swallowed by plumes of lilac trees and the sweeping mysticism that encapsulated the Cloud Recesses.  
  
  
Little time had elapsed before he had reached the wall that divided the Cloud Recesses from external denominations. In retrospect, he hadn’t anticipated the sheer difficulty of climbing an eight-foot wall with his hands full. Though it took many bothersome moments, Wei Wuxian found himself comfortably poised on the top of the wall.  
  
  
That was until he saw the milky robe of his peer.   
  
  
He had breathed out a surprised gasp, his heart flittering as Lan Wanji peered at him with an equally startled gaze. “Lan Wanji! Shouldn’t you be asleep right now?” He sneered, pointing an incredulous finger at the boy.   
  
  
His slender frame was adorned with the robe of the Lan Clan, which accentuated the graceful; yet slightly muscular definition of his waist and shoulders. He emanated power and strength, though the beauty of his face was unmatched by any other. His eyelashes, curved and full, sheltered the gloomy irises within. Such an angelic face was embellished with the stygian silk of his hair, which had grown past the small of his back. His features depicted a picturesque sight.  
  
Well, perhaps they would, if it weren’t for the grimace that had permanently stained his face.  
  
  
Following a few pregnant moments of silence, he had risen to stand beside Wei Wuxian atop the wall, his stance mirroring that of an authority. “Why are you smuggling alcohol into the Cloud Recesses?” He queried, his voice husky and unfeeling. It sounded as though he hadn’t spoken in days. Such a possibility was likely, as he seldom spent his time communicating with others.   
  
  
“I don’t mind sharing,” he chuckled, gesturing to the jugs in his hands, “just have as much as you want, and we can pretend we didn’t see each other tonight.”   
  
  
“Alcohol is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses.” His eyes, glinting callously, betrayed his calm composure.   
  
  
“Fine. If I drink it all right here, right now, there won’t be any rules broken. I’m not inside the Cloud Recesses yet- I’m still _on_ the wall.” He smirked, mischievously removing the lid from the first jar of **Emporer’s Smile**.   
  
  
He knew that his peers would be irritated at the needless loss of their money, but he wasn’t going to waste his beloved beverage, nor the lengths he went through to obtain it in the first place. Lan Wanji flinched as the jar touched his lips, though he made no effort to apprehend him. Even as the sweet wine dribbled past his chin, the boy remained stoic.   
  
  
He had taken his silence as a sign to continue. With a few laboured breaths, Wei Wuxian abandoned the first empty jar and began reaching for the next- until his wrist was apprehended by a powerful grasp. “Have you no shame?” He hissed, his robe unfurling in the flowing breeze.   
  
  
“You act like there’s a stick up your ass! Let me go!” Amidst his petulant yelling, he found himself feeling slightly unsettled. Lan Wanji’s grasp had grown tighter with each word. Like a snake draping its body around a wounded rat, his hand constricted the flesh of his wrist. He didn’t dare strike the studious boy, though he desired it more than anything. Instead, he thrashed. And they fell.   
  
  
The pair groaned unanimously as their bodies hit the earth, though most of Wei Wuxian’s impact was softened by the boy beneath him. As he lifted his head from the warmth of Lan Wanji’s chest, his gaze was met with a glance of embarrassment. “Wow, this angle does wonders for you.” He murmured, smirking at the pink hue of his cheeks. “G-get off me, now!”   
  
  
The fall had been esoteric. Lan Wanji’s serene face, though bearing a startled expression, had been enveloped by the silken strands of his hair. It was a new expression- something unwitnessed by other cultivators. The soft glint of moonlight captured on his brow-ridge reminded him of the glittering liquid staining the dirt beside their bodies.  
  
  
As much as it saddened him, the second jar had shattered upon impact. He watched, despair-ridden, as the golden liquid was absorbed by the earth. “Wanjiiiiii!!!!” He wailed, collapsing into a defeated lump.  
  
  
With a reserved sigh, Lan Wanji had delicately brushed away any debris from his robe, his gaze slightly flustered. “Goodnight, Wei Wuxian.” He murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind his left ear.   
  
_____________________  
  
He turned restlessly amongst his sheets for many moments that night. The wine, which had long since passed through his stomach and small intestine, had imbued him with a sense of contentment- though it made his heart contract with elevated force.   
  
  


Lan Wanji had perched himself within his head. The concept of that boy clung to his fissures as tightly as a newborn to its mother. He had always been mired by his elegance and devotion: the mysticism of his cultivation. Perhaps his fascination was purely due to the fact that Lan Wanji was so elusive. Nobody knew anything about him, after all.    
  
  
But he felt as though he was beginning to know. He knew, with conviction, that the interaction they shared that night was the genesis in a series of interactions. He knew that he had gained some form of social standing in the eyes of Lan Wanji, even if it was negative. And, above all, he knew that it was a gateway into gaining more knowledge about this elusive human.    
  
  
The expression he had extracted from Lan Wanji as he fell was a memory that belonged to him alone. His mind regurgitated those precious moments again and again, littering the recesses of his mind with convoluted emotions. 


End file.
